Union Health Ministry launches campaign to eradicate leprosy

The Union Health Ministry has recently launched the “Leprosy Case Detection Campaign (LCDC)” to eradicate leprosy from the country.
The 2-week-long massive campaign was launched by Union Health Minister J P Nadda. It will be focusing on 149 endemic districts in India.
Key Facts

• LCDC aims to cover more than 1,600 blocks in the 149 districts across 20 states where nearly 3 lakh health teams will undertake door-to-door visits to detect leprosy cases.
• Under it nearly 3 lakh health teams will undertake door-to-door visits to detect and treat leprosy and stop its spread. The campaign will be till September 18, 2016.
• The leprosy has been successfully eradicated at the national level and most of the states have also eradicated it, but it exists at the districts and block level.

According to National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), a centrally-sponsored scheme, India achieved the goal of elimination of leprosy as a public health problem, defined as less than 1 case per 10,000 population till December, 2005.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2016